Coronavirus: 454 new COVID cases reported; mortality rate rising
Vials of COVID-19 vaccine stand ready to be administered by Shelby County Health Department personnel and volunteers on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021 in the Pipkin Building at Tiger Lane. (Mark Weber/Daily Memphian)
There were 454 new cases of COVID-19 reported the past 24 hours and 13 new deaths, according to information from the Shelby County Health Department.
The daily positivity rate was 10.0%.
The numbers released Monday, Jan. 18, reflect a trend of declining new cases the past two weeks, but an increase in fatalities from the disease.
There have been 78,020 cases of the virus in Shelby County thus far and 1,140 deaths.
In the past week, new cases are up by 3,512. The week before, from Jan. 4 to Jan. 11, there were 4,366 new cases confirmed in the county. The two-week rise in cases in Shelby County is 11.2%.
But the mortality rate has increased from 1.3% on Jan. 4 to 1.5% on Jan. 18. Deaths during that two-week timeframe have risen by more than 23%, from 925 to 1,140.
As of 5 p.m. on Jan. 14, there were 533 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in hospitals, according to the Hospital Resource Tracking System.
Two weeks prior on Jan. 4, 586 were hospitalized with COVID, according to the tracking system’s data.
In surrounding counties as of Jan. 18:
Tipton County reported a total of 6,190 cases, up 10.7% from 5,594 on Jan. 4.
DeSoto County in North Mississippi reported 17,120 cases, up 13.0% from 15,142 on Jan. 4.
And Crittenden County in east Arkansas reported 4,752 cases, up 14.2% from 4,162 on Jan. 4.
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